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At long last, we've seen (if you had a telescope) the back of Haley's Comet, and good riddance to what must have been the non-event of the century.

Anyway, the plot goes something like this. Haley's Comet is believed to have thousands of little toxic germs surrounding it and a ship has been sent up there to shoot the little creatures before they explode into the earth's atmosphere.

Sounds like the plot to a normal fast and addictive shoot-'em-up right? Wrong. You don't get the chance to launch into space and shoot everything in sight, you're not even the pilot. You're just the boring old ship's computer.

There are five main problems to negotiate, each one being a little sub-game in itself

1. Computer Argument:
   There are four little LEDs that will light up in a random order in the left hand side of the screen. You must match that order by lighting up the four on the right-hand side using the correct connectors - about as exciting as wiring a plug.
2. Antenna alignment:
   Now read carefully as this game is very complex. Move the joystick left and right to align the antenna with the highest frequency before time runs out.
3. Interplanetary Safeguard:
   Can you survive a thirty-second bout of Missile Command? You probably can but won't want to bother.
4. Life Support Infestation:
   Blast the Germ-bags out of the oxygen supply before time runs out.
5. Coffee Game:
   How do you keep an astronaut who's in suspended animation in good shape? Apparently you tank him up with coffee - brilliant idea! Activate the correct icons to make your astronaut a cup of coffee but keep a good watch on the "P" icon and make sure he doesn't wet himself. Kindergarten jokes at their rock bottom worst! Someone at Firebird is possessed by an extremely flatulent streak of toilet humour.

After all this, I am told that you are put into low-orbit and given the opportunity to shoot all those nasty little lumps of bacteria. But to be honest, it's not worth the bother of going through this rubbish!